Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Because of COVID-19, it was impossible to have a physical meeting between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries leaders. Therefore the European Council President Charles Michel had a video conference with the state leaders or heads of the governments of the 27 EU member states, as well as leaders of the Eastern Partnership countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine.

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell also attended the online conference. The participants discussed different topics. The first one was COVID-19, and the consequences of the crisis. The second — the strategic partnership, and the third one — the future of the Eastern Partnership.

Charles Michel stated that strong European support clearly shows the importance the EU gives to the Eastern Partnership. Leaders expressed the political will to continue building an area of shared democracy, prosperity and stability, anchored in shared values, through a rules-based international order and international law. It was reaffirmed that the Eastern Partnership is a foreign policy priority for the European Union, and it will continue to be one, along with the European priorities of democracy, human rights, rule of law, gender equality, structural reforms and fighting disinformation.

Over the last decade, the cooperation between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries has flourished. Trade between the EU and its six partners has doubled. Together, the Eastern Partnership countries are now the EU's 10th largest trading partner. The EU is the number one trading partner for four Eastern Partnership countries and the second trading partner for the other two.

The Eastern Partnership turned 11 in May 2020. This foreign policy format of the EU's cooperation with its neighbours was launched on 7 May 2009 at the initiative of Poland and Sweden. It covers 27 EU member states and 6 Eastern European neighbours — Azerbaijan, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The initial goal of this format was to deepen cooperation between the countries of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus with the EU.

The new Eastern Partnership policy is to be adopted by the member states at the summit in early 2021.